Shaukat Khanum Hospital earns prestigious accreditation from JCI

LAHORE - Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre,(SKMCH&RC) Lahore has announced that it has earned Joint Commission International’s Gold Seal of Approval® for Hospital Accreditation by demonstrating continuous compliance with its internationally-recognised standards. The Gold Seal of Approval® is a symbol of quality that reflects an organisation’s commitment to providing safe and effective patient care.

It is pertinent to mention that the Joint Commission International (JCI) was established in 1997 as a division of Joint Commission Resources, Inc. (JCR), a wholly controlled, not-for-profit affiliate of The Joint Commission. Through international accreditation, consultation, publications and education programs, JCI extends The Joint Commission’s mission worldwide by helping to improve the quality of patient care. JCI assists international health care organisations, public health agencies, health ministries and others in more than 100 countries.

Joint Commission International’s hospital standards are developed in consultation with worldwide health care experts and providers, measurement experts, and patients. The standards are informed by scientific literature and expert consensus to help organizations measure, assess and improve performance.

SKMCH&RC Lahore underwent a rigorous on-site survey from April 23 to 27, 2018. During the survey, a team of Joint Commission International expert surveyors evaluated compliance with hospital standards related to a variety of areas, including the International Patient Safety Goals, patient assessment and care, anesthesia and surgical care, medication management, patient and family education, quality improvement, infection prevention and control, governance and leadership, facility management, staff qualifications and education, and information management.

On this occasion, Paul Chang, MD, MBA, MPH, CPHQ, FACHE, Vice President, Accreditation, Standards, and Measurement, Joint Commission International said, “We commend Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, Lahore for its efforts to become a quality improvement organisation, and achieving this pinnacle demonstrating a commitment to patient safety and quality.” He also informed that “Joint Commission International accreditation provides hospitals with the processes contributing to improvements in a variety of areas from the enhancement of staff education to the demonstration of leading practices within the hospital setting.”

Upon receiving this prestigious accreditation, Dr Faisal Sultan, CEO, SKMCH&RC, Lahore said, "SKMCH&RC Lahore is pleased to receive accreditation from Joint Commission International, the premier health care quality improvement and accrediting body in the world.” While appreciating the efforts of the staff in this regard, he added: “Staff from across the organisation continued the combined efforts to develop and implement approaches and strategies that have the potential to improve care for the patients in our community hence I would like to thank all our staff, who have worked tirelessly to ensure that we provide world-class care to our patients, over 75% of whom are treated completely free”.

Dr Faisal Sultan also appreciated and publicly acknowledged the invaluable advice and support received from the existing JCI accredited organisations in Pakistan (Shifa International Hospital Islamabad and the Aga Khan University Hospital in Karachi) during this journey to accreditation.